TY - JOUR
T1 - Spontaneous neonatal pneumomediastinum
T2 - Radiological or clinical diagnosis?
AU - Zuppa, A. A.
AU - D'Andrea, V.
AU - Verrillo, G.
AU - Riccardi, R.
AU - Savarese, I.
AU - Cavani, M.
AU - Romagnoli, C.
PY - 2014/2
Y1 - 2014/2
N2 - Spontaneous neonatal pneumomediastinum (PNM) is associated with the aspiration of blood or meconium and birth-related trauma and it seems to be more frequent in post-term newborns. It is generally asymptomatic, but it is occasionally accompanied by mild tachypnoea. Only rarely, it requires oxygen therapy or develops into pneumothorax. To evaluate the relationship between the radiological and clinical diagnosis in this uncommon problem, from January 2005 to August 2009, 35 newborns with spontaneous PNM were enrolled in the study. Treatment protocol provides for execution of a chest X-ray, clinical check, SatO2 and heart rate monitoring. Clinical diagnosis was accomplished particularly early, within the first 24 h of life. Paraphonic and distant tones discovered by cardio-auscultatory exam disappeared within the following 72 h. A total of 28 newborns were asymptomatic (80%); seven were symptomatic (20%); five had transient tachypnoea of the newborn; two developed an RDS, with Silverman score ≥ 3 and required O2 therapy. It is necessary to affirm the importance of early diagnosis of this condition, carrying out careful monitoring of newborns at risk, to begin timely therapeutic treatments, as oxygen-therapy and to heighten alertness for complications, such as pneumothorax.
AB - Spontaneous neonatal pneumomediastinum (PNM) is associated with the aspiration of blood or meconium and birth-related trauma and it seems to be more frequent in post-term newborns. It is generally asymptomatic, but it is occasionally accompanied by mild tachypnoea. Only rarely, it requires oxygen therapy or develops into pneumothorax. To evaluate the relationship between the radiological and clinical diagnosis in this uncommon problem, from January 2005 to August 2009, 35 newborns with spontaneous PNM were enrolled in the study. Treatment protocol provides for execution of a chest X-ray, clinical check, SatO2 and heart rate monitoring. Clinical diagnosis was accomplished particularly early, within the first 24 h of life. Paraphonic and distant tones discovered by cardio-auscultatory exam disappeared within the following 72 h. A total of 28 newborns were asymptomatic (80%); seven were symptomatic (20%); five had transient tachypnoea of the newborn; two developed an RDS, with Silverman score ≥ 3 and required O2 therapy. It is necessary to affirm the importance of early diagnosis of this condition, carrying out careful monitoring of newborns at risk, to begin timely therapeutic treatments, as oxygen-therapy and to heighten alertness for complications, such as pneumothorax.
KW - Paraphonic tones
KW - Pneumomediastinum
KW - Post-term newborns
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84893073505&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.3109/01443615.2013.830597
DO - 10.3109/01443615.2013.830597
M3 - Article
C2 - 24456433
AN - SCOPUS:84893073505
VL - 34
SP - 138
EP - 140
JO - Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
JF - Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
SN - 0144-3615
IS - 2
ER -